In general, inorganic materials, which are used as major-component materials or fillers for coated films, molded bodies and the like, possess such characteristics as high hardness, heat resistance, and so forth. In the case of using inorganic materials, calcination by means of heating is needed in order to quickly form dense and fine phases from the liquid phases or solutions. Moreover, these inorganic materials are not good in the affinity to organic solvents and organic-matter phases. On the contrary, although organic materials possess such characteristics as flexibility and quick film-forming property at ordinary temperature, they have such disadvantages that they are poorer in the hardness and heat resistance. Consequently, organic/inorganic composites that possess the aforementioned characteristics of inorganic materials and organic materials combinedly, and furthermore in which the aforementioned disadvantages are restricted as much as possible, and processes for producing the same have been investigated heretofore.
For example, in Patent Literature No. 1 and Patent Literature No. 2, lamellar silicone polymers are disclosed, the lamellar silicone polymers having a phyllosillicate-mineral-type lamellar structure that comprises a 2:1-type or 1:1-type laminated body with a tetrahedral sheet in which silicon atom makes the central atom; and an octahedral sheet in which metal makes the central atom, and the lamellar silicone polymers possessing an organic group that bonds with at least apart of the silicon covalently. Moreover, in Patent Literature No. 3, the following are set forth therein: a coated-material composition in which the lamellar silicone polymers set forth in Patent Literature Nos. 1 and 2 are used as fillers; and a process for manufacturing wear-resistant article in which the same is used. A production process for the lamellar silicone polymers set forth in the respective patent literatures will be hereinafter explained in detail.
First of all, a raw-material solution is prepared by adding 3-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane and magnesium chloride hexahydrate to methanol and then stirring them. Next, a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution is added to the raw-material solution while stirring it, and then this mixture solution is turned into gel. Thus, a methacryl Mg lamellar polymer is synthesized, the methacryl Mg lamellar polymer having a phyllosillicate-mineral-type crystalline laminated structure. Note that an outline of the structure of a 2:1-type methacryl Mg lamellar polymer is illustrated in FIG. 1. In the methacryl Mg lamellar polymer, tetrahedral sheets 4, in which silicon atoms 3 (being specified with “●”) make the centers, are formed on the opposite sides of an octahedral sheet 2, in which magnesium atoms 1 make the centers. And, as those constituting a part of the tetrahedral sheets 4, organic groups R are bonded to the silicon atoms 3 by means of covalent bond. In the drawing, “◯” specifies oxygen atoms.
Thereafter, the methacryl Mg lamellar polymer is isolated in a powdered state by vacuum drying after filtering the gelated mixture solution and then washing it with water.    Patent Literature No. 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 6-200,034;    Patent Literature No. 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 7-126,396; and    Patent Literature No. 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 8-12,899